Miniature rifle range



W. GEISER MINIATURE RIFLE RANGE Sept. 4, 1951 Filed Aug. 8, 1946 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Sept. 4, 1951 w, ElsER MINIATURE RIFLE RANGE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Aug. 8, 1946 Patented Sept. 4, 1951 MINIATURE RIFLE RANGE Walter Geiser, Olten, Switzerland Application August 8, 1946, Serial No. 689,212 7 In Switzerland August 7, 1945 Section 1, Public Law 690, August 8, 1946 Patent expires August '7, 1965 Claims.

When shooting with loaded shooting devices, the operator has hitherto been forced to leave his shooting position to check the point where the projectile hit and, in case fetch them back again. This disadvantage is eliminated in the miniature rifle range according to the present invention which can be set up indoors or in the open. This simplification increases the fun of shooting and is helpful for training purposes.

The miniature rifle range according to the present invention comprises a traveling carriage which is provided with an electric motor and is movable back and forth on a rail. On the front of the traveling carriage there is mounted a target which rests against a backing plate and which, when struck by a projectile, inclines backward together with the backing plate. This movement causes the throwing of a tumbler switch which closes the circuit to the motor and thus sets the motor and traveling carriage in motion so that the latter travels to the point where the shooter is standing and is held there by a cut-out device.

The range is provided with a coin slot arrangement and is intended for hotels, restaurants, etc. This arrangement obliges the shooter to insert a coin before being able to fire a certain number of shots. One particular embodiment, for example, may permit the carriage to travel back and forth three times after a particular coin is inserted. It may also be arran ed for the firing of more or fewer shots, i. e. for more or fewer back and forth travels of the carriage. The range may be made of difierent suitable sizes. depending on whether the device is to be used indoors or in the open. Targets of about 4 or 5 square inches are suitable for small ranges, and the dimensions may be correspondingly larger for ranges of greater size.

In the drawings,

Fig. 1 is a side view of one embodiment of the present invention showing the movable target carriage mounted on a table or platform.

Fig. 2 shows the positions occupied by the tumbler switch during the rearward travel,

Fig. 3 shows the positions occupied by the tumbler switch during the forward travel.

Fig. 4 shows the positions of the tumbler switch when the traveling carriage is at rest at the far end, and when in front where the rifleman is standing.

Fig. 5 shows the positions of the tumbler switch after depression of the press button at the front end before a coin is inserted.

plugs were used, to

The motor to is supplied with current by means of four bare metal bars I, 2, 3, 4 secured alongside the traveling rail 5. The current is conveyed from the rails to the motor by sliding current tapping shoes not shown.

The motor w is a single phase, low voltage, squirrel cage induction motor and it is connected direct to the lighting mains. When the voltage is too high, the current must be reduced or transformed to from 6 to not more than 24 volts in order to comply with the regulations against danger in games.

The equipment may also be driven by storage batteries if the motor is a D. C. one.

As can be seen from Figs. 2 to 5, motor w receives driving voltage via a 220/24 volt transformer Ill. The two tumbler switches l and i serve for switching over. Tumbler switch I effects the forward motion, and tumbler switch 2' the rearward motion. The phase displacement necessary for starting the motor 10 is efiected by an additional 220/24 volt transformer a: in association with a blocking condenser z.

The traveling carriage 1 having wheels 6 for running on rails 5 is at first at the position where the shooter is standing (Fig. 5). The rifieman inserts a coin in the slot channel a which is dimensioned so that the coin can drop freely. When dropping, the coin strikes against lever arm b which is pivoted at the top end. This impact causes the lever arm b to swing out by a few tenths of a millimeter counter to the action of aspring. Lever arm I) is provided with a locking lug c. Opposite to it there is a falling pawl 11 whose front end is held engaged by the locking lug 0 until the dropping coin swings out lever arm b. This movement causes the falling pawl d to slip, under control of a spring, from looking lug c and to strike against a projecting cam H on the bipolar tumbler switch e which is tilted by this impact. The bipolar tumbler switch e effects the closing of the circuit to the motor across the connected-in tumbler switch i (Fig. 2). By means of the same tumbler switch 6, and at the same moment, the lamp I which illuminates the target is connected-in and the carriage immediately travels to the far end of the rail where it is stopped. Tumbler switch e remains in the thrown position until the carriage has traveled back and forth three times as explained hereinafter.

The carriage is stopped at the far end of the rail in the following manner:

At the front of the carriage there is a pressure lever arm 9 provided with a press button and pivotable on shaft 12 attached to the carriage. When the carriage is traveling to the far end, lever arm 9 is inclined downward in the position shown in the drawing by an arrow over the press button. A raised wedge-shape member h is mounted at thefar end of the rail 5. When the carriage travels over this elevation h the downwardly inclined pressure lever arm 9' slides over the elevation h and is thus swung upward. This movement causes the pressure lever arm g to engage with a projecting cam [2 of tumbler switch 2'. This causes tilting of tumbler switch 1', opening of the circuit to motor w, and stopping of the carriage (Fig. 4).

A shot can now be fired. When the. projectile strikes the target, the impact pushes the target with its backing plate is rearwards. Thismovement causes the tilting of tumbler switch I (Fig.

3), thus closing the circuit to motor and the.

carriage travels forward to the place where the rifleznan is, standing and is stopped there. The carriage is stopped at the shooters position in the following manner:

The targets backing plate is is pivotable on shaft 172 attached to the carriage. A fiat bend. n entends rearward at right angles from this pivotal point of shaft 112. When the circuit is closed, this bend is inclined a few degrees downward, and. the. targets backing plate is a few degrees rearward. At the front end of the rail there is av wedge shape elevation 0. When the flat bend n passes over the elevation o, the downwardly inclined bend n is pushed upward and the targets movable backing plate is pushed forward. This movement causes tilting of tumbler switch I, interruption ofthe circuit to motor w and stopping of the carriage (Fig.

4). When the shot has been checked, the rifleman presses the button on pressure lever arm g, thus inelin-ing this lever arm downward. This movement causes the tilting of tumbler switch 1 (Fig. 2),, thus, closing the. circuit to motor 20, and the carriage travels back to the far end of the, rail where it is again stopped. Another shot can now be fired.

When the carriage has reached the riflemans position for the third time and the shot has been checked, he presses the button on lever armg. 'lhis movement of lever arm g causes the tilting of tumbler switch 2', thus closing the circuit to motor w, but the carriage is. now'blocked and does not travel.

is effected in the following manner: Near tumbler switch 8 there is installed a pair of, tp thed wheels and q. Toothed wheel p has, nine teeth while toothed wheel q has only three teeth but it, also has three lifting cams, it which serve for lifting the falling pawl 11 on to the locking lug c. [Ifhe two toothed wheels are fastened together and they rotate together on the same shaft in clockwise direction. Each pressure on the pressure lever arm gcauses the pair of toothed wheels 12, .q to rotate to. the extent of one tooth of toothed wheel p. When the pressure lever arm 9, has been pressed down twice, this means that the carriage has traveled back and forth on the rail twice. One tooth of toothed Whfiel 11 now stands in front of the bipolar tumbler switch e. When the pressure lever arm 9 is, pressed down for the third time, the lifting earn it strikes against an edge ll of the falling pawl 01 and lifts it, and then slides further along and drops the front end of falling pawl 12 on to the locking lug c. The bipolar tumbler switch e is tilted by a tooth of toothed wheel q acting on arm, a falling pawl pivoted on said carr projecting pins It on switch e, thus opening the circuit to motor 10, and the lamp is extinguished and the carriage blocked (Fig. 5). The shooter has to insert another coin to permit the carriage to travel again.

The coin slot device may also be designed for more or fewer shots, i. e. for more or fewer travels of the carriage, by providing more or fewer teeth on toothed wheel p which determines the number of travel times of the carriage.-

If for any reason the impact of the projectile should not close the circuit, a pull lever r is provided at the shooters position; a cable s extends to the far end of the rail and is secured to a movable pawl t which pulls the bend n downward when the pull lever r is pulled, and tilts tumbler switch 2', thus closing the circuit to motor w, and the carriage travels to the shooters position.

What I claim is:

in r if n e mer e ra a carriage movablyfmounted on said track, ele etric. drive means for moving said earriage on said t energizing an for aid rive mea s. a backing plate having a target thereon piv al ly m t d on s a ia e. umbler e il mounted on said carriage andoperatively conne ted. to said backing plate, said tumbler switehbeing electrically connected to said drive meansfor energization thereof, cut offmean s for; said drive means at each extremity of said track, and release means for preparing, a circuit for said energising means.

2. A miniature rifle. range. as claimed claim 1, said release means comprising a coincha lg a lever arm pivotally mounted on said o r age and having the free. end thereof positioned in said coin channel, a locking lug aid lever having the free end thereof 'in 'no j w th Sa ock n u a ip ar u le mounted n Said, c r i rqximitv't falling pawl, said switch being electrically connected to said drive means, whereby, 19 93 .1 sertion of a coin in said coin channel said lever arm is moved, releasing said falling pawl and a5;- tuating said switch whereby said drive means ate energized a ari Q r'r'ia is m ve l. e ai track 3. In a miniature. rifle range. as, claimed in claim 2 means for predetermining the number of movements of said carriage along said track comprising a smaller and a larger toothed wheel rotatably mounted on said; carriage in prof ity to said falling pawl, said toothed wheels being secured together for rotation together, said smaller wheel having a greater number of t "'t'h than said larger wheel, a pluralityof lifting c ms on said larger wheel for coaction with said -falling pawl for lifting said pawl, the teeth on said larger wheel being' contactable said bipblar tumbler switch for actuation thereof, said energizing means for said drive means compri 'ng a pivotally mounted lover, a free. end of said er contacting the teeth on said smaller whl' 1 for rotating said wheels and lifting said falling wl by means of said lifting cams after a .pre amined number of movements of said leverfand s d tee h on a d larg r Wheel actua ing s bipolar tumbler switch to place the sam'e in inp rative position after the Sa d, hrd trr it number of actuations of said lever.

n, m n a u ifl ange as laipze fi cl tion thereon at right angles backing said out off means for said drive means comprising wedge-shaped members, said flat bend portion of said backing plate coacting with said wedge-shaped elements upon movement of said carriage to actuate said tumbler switch operatively connected to said backing plate whereby upon reaching the backward limit on said track said tumbler switch will disconnect said drive means and stop said carriage.

5. In a miniature rifle range as claimed in claim 1, said backing plate having a flat bend portion projecting therefrom at right angles thereto at the lower end of said backing plate, a lever pivotally connected to said track, a cable connected to said lever and extending rearwardly along said track, a movable pawl secured to said track and operatively connected to said cable at a point remote from said lever, said movable pawl being contactable with said flat bend portion of said backing plate upon movement of said lever whereby upon movement of said lever said movable 6 pawl will move said flat bend portion of said backing plate and said tumbler switch controlling said drive means will be actuated for energizing the drive means and causing movement of the carriage.

WALTER GEISER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,260,691 McGregor Mar. 26, 1918 1,657,931 Krantz Jan. 31, 1928 2,344,829 McAvoy Mar. 21, 1944 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 20,212 Great Britain of 1910 

